I do believe that these speakers are discountinued, or replaced by models containing DolbyDigital surround. The basic design is the same.
I purchased these at the request of a relative because they were in need of system and this was on close-out sale for $250 (including the powered rears, which normally are seperate). If I were a novice at home stereo, I'd be impressed at what these speakers represent. However this is my 5th serious attempt at evaluating a Pro-logic system and I'm once again disappointed. I have yet to hear a Pro-logic do anything but butcher music.

Anyway, with home theater, they are decent enough job, that is, they're more fun than the TV's speakers. There is a provision for an outboard center channel speaker, or you can use 'onboard' centers in each tower that are angled to the center. Outboard is definately better. The rears are self powered, recieving the rear channel input via infra-red signal. These speakers sound terrible, aren't timberaly matched to the system, and are noisy beyond fifteen feet from the transmitter. BTW, you can only use these speakers if want rear surround!! In most cases they are an additional $150.(BOO-HISS, Sony!) In stereo mode, the powered towers sound loud, without much bass extension. The built in subs are more like the powered bass moduals found in the Bose AM series. Mostly loud in the upper bass (100-200hz), muddy in the mid bass region, where they shouldn't be heard at all. The full range left and right channel speakers comprise of a 5" paper cone driver and a 1.5" paper cone tweeter. The tweeter is located below the mid-driver as well as the angled centers and suffers greatly from this configuration. Highs are very muffled and the mids are somewhat harsh. I had to use a flashlight to see the speakers as the grills are impossible to get off, ala Bose.

The system includes a remote which is one of the better remotes I've used in awhile; with all the important functions on an easy to read pad, and compatability to other Sony devices. And of course, this system incorporates all the crappy ambience modes you've come to hate on Sony surround gear. I liked that the sub section allowed different boost options as well as separate volume for the sub/bass modules. I also liked that each channel volume could be accessed (along with each crappy simulation mode) w/o going into sub programing. In fact, there is very little sub-programming involved at all, which is a godsend.

You can tell that Sony is aiming at the first-time-buyer market. Which is where this system belongs. This sytem is a glorified boombox, however much more attractive. Its also very obtrusive, unlike the Bose AM series, but nowhere near the price of the Bose systems. It would be a great dorm system or apartment, but if you are very diserning what-so-ever, avoid this and other similar systems that give you function and design, but little else. If you like the sound of Bose, and don't want to have to get a night job, settle for these instead. (And you thought you'd avoided those Bose bashing sites...never!!!)